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☆ Analysis: The 2024 campaign gets grimmer, with Trump’s extremism on full display alongside concerns over Biden’s age
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Trump is giving every impression that his second term would be even more aberrant than his first, as he vows to use presidential power to exact retribution against his enemies. While a Biden vs. Trump race would be a rematch of 2020, it would not necessarily be the same. In Trump, voters can pick an ex-president facing 91 criminal charges who has been found liable for fraud, sexual battery and defamation in court. It also offered a potential roadmap to the substance and character of his possible second term. Why the 2020 election lineup may be locked inThe renewed focus on Biden’s age is likely to open another round of speculation about whether he could be replaced on the Democratic ticket.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, he’s, Vladimir Putin, Nikki Haley’s, crave, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, —, “ Donald Trump’s, Putin, ” Biden, Trump’s, ”, Florida GOP Sen, Marco Rubio, “ Donald Trump, ” Rubio, Charles Michel, Russia, Tucker Carlson, Manuel Balce Ceneta, Michael, He’s, Michael Haley, Nikki Haley, Arizona Sen, John McCain, Robert Hur’s, parry, Mandel Ngan, gaffes —, “, Ro Khanna, Jake Tapper, Biden’s missteps, Haley, Nancy Pelosi, he’d, Dean Phillips, Kamala Harris, Harris Organizations: CNN, Oval, Biden, Trump, NATO, White, Florida GOP, Foreign Relations, Union, European Council, GOP, ABC, Getty, ” Democratic, Democratic, Democratic Party Locations: South Carolina, Russia, NATO, Europe, miscalculations, Moscow, Ukraine, Poland, Baltic States, Florida, “ State, Russian, Conway , South Carolina, Africa, Arizona, Vietnam, Egypt, Mexico, AFP, California, reunifying

☆ Secretary Austin cancels Brussels trip for Ukraine, NATO meetings after hospitalization
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin canceled a trip to Brussels this week where he was set to attend meetings related to Ukraine's defense and NATO, after his emergency hospitalization over the weekend. Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday afternoon due to "emergent bladder issues." The Defense secretary has been fighting prostate cancer and recuperating from surgery over the past few months. President Joe Biden is "not at all" concerned with Austin's ability to continue serving as Defense secretary, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday. Austin later transferred his duties to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Sunday evening.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Aden Duale, Donald Trump, Austin, Walter, Walter Reed doctors, Joe Biden, John Kirby, Kirby, Biden, Doctors, Kathleen Hicks Organizations: Defense, Kenyan Defense, Pentagon, NATO, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, National Security Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Brussels, Ukraine, Austin

You gotta pay your bills.’”NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the 31 allies are committed to defending each other. Photos You Should See View All 21 Images“NATO remains ready and able to defend all allies. Under NATO’s mutual defense clause, Article 5 of its founding treaty, all allies commit help of any member who comes under attack. Article 5 has only ever been activated once – by the U.S. in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. NATO has undertaken its biggest military buildup since the Cold War since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Donald Trump, Władysław Kosiniak, Kamysz, “, Trump, ”, ’ ” Trump, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Putin, ___ Cook, Kirsten Grieshaber Organizations: NATO, Republican, . Defense, ”, ’, Foreign Ministry, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Trump, Associated Press Locations: WARSAW, Poland, U.S, Russia, Europe, Conway , South Carolina, ” Russia, NATO, Anchorage, Erzurum, Baltic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moscow, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Ukraine’s Crimean, Brussels, Berlin

☆ NATO leader says Trump puts allies at risks by saying Russia can 'do whatever the hell they want’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a Nevada caucus night party at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. February 8, 2024. The NATO leader warned Sunday that Donald Trump was putting the safety of U.S. troops and their allies at risk after the Republican presidential front-runner said Russia should be able to do "whatever the hell they want" to alliance members who don't meet their defense spending targets. Speaking Saturday at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would "encourage" Russia to do as it wishes in cases of NATO allies who are "delinquent." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the 31 allies are committed to defending each other. Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response," Stoltenberg said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Władysław Kosiniak, Kamysz, Trump, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg Organizations: NATO, Republican, . Defense Locations: Nevada, Treasure, Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Russia, Poland, Europe, Conway , South Carolina

☆ Ukraine's homemade sea drones often fail, but they're so cheap that it doesn't matter, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUkraine's home-developed naval drones are offering vital capabilities that cruise missiles just don't have, a naval expert told Business Insider. This could have a sizable impact on Ukraine's ongoing efforts to subdue Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Defense Intelligence of UkraineSidharth Kaushal, a naval expert at the UK's Royal United Services Institute, outlined Ukraine's sea drones' limitations and advantages to BI. "The Ukrainians don't have very many cruise missiles that can target things at the ranges that they've been able to go after" with sea drones, he added. Since then, sea drones have been involved in multiple high-profile attacks, including reported strikes on two Russian landing ships in November.

Persons: —, Russia's, Kyrylo, Ukraine Sidharth, Kaushal, they've, Ukraine hasn't, Ivan Khurs, Basil Germond Organizations: Service, UK's Ministry of Defence, Business, Autonomous Guard, Defense Intelligence, Royal United Services Institute, CNN, Russia's Defence Ministry, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Lancaster University Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russia's, Ukrainian, REUTERS Ukraine, Russian, Crimea

☆ Despite losing another warship to a country without much of a navy, Russia's Black Sea Fleet is still in the fight, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewRussia's Black Sea Fleet has taken a beating from Ukraine over the course of the war, but Western intelligence suggests that Moscow still maintains the ability to conduct naval operations in the region. "This latest Ukrainian success highlights the continuing vulnerability of Russian warships operating in the Black Sea," Britain's defense ministry said. "It will highly likely have an impact on the Black Sea Fleet's command and control elements, probably forcing them to re-evaluate their maneuverability near Western Crimea." Defense Intelligence of UkraineBritain's defense ministry, however, cautioned that "the Russian Navy is almost certainly still able to conduct its three main tasks in the Black Sea: long-range strike, patrol, and support." "There is no place for the russian fleet in Ukrainian Crimea," it said.

Persons: —, Grant Shapps Organizations: Service, Business, Defense Intelligence, Russian Navy, Black Sea Fleet, Moscow, UK Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Crimean, Crimea, Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, Ukrainian Crimea

The House had already gone on the record in support of an Israel aid package. The vote for more Israel aid was 250-180, well short of the two-thirds threshold necessary for passage. “Leveraging Israel aid as it fights for survival is wrong,” Johnson said. Democrats said presidential politics played into the route House Republicans took in going ahead solely with aid for Israel. “Trump doesn't want to support Ukraine, and he also doesn't want a border deal because it hurts him politically.

Persons: Mike Johnson's, Alejandro Mayorkas, Johnson, Israel, Joe Biden's, Hakeem Jeffries, There’s, ” Johnson, “ Trump, Donald Trump's, Adam Smith, Lois Frankel of, embolden, ” Frankel, Trump, Donald Trump, ”, Chuck Schumer Organizations: WASHINGTON, House Republican, Homeland, Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, Democratic, Republican, White, House Republicans, Israel, House Armed Services Committee, Rep, Ukraine, Putin Locations: Israel, Ukraine, U.S, Mexico, Lois Frankel of Florida, Gaza

☆ Jennifer Crumbley, mother of school shooter, found guilty of manslaughter in test of who’s responsible for a mass shooting
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Eric Levenson | Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jennifer Crumbley looked down at her clasped hands as the verdict was read. Live updates: Jury reaches verdict in Jennifer Crumbley trialJennifer Crumbley exits from the courtroom in shackles on Tuesday after her guilty verdict. Over a week of testimony, law enforcement officials, school employees, shooting victims and those who knew Jennifer Crumbley testified for the prosecution. Jennifer Crumbley took the stand in her own defense and, in a remarkable moment, expressed no regret for her actions. Jennifer Crumbley testified the school meeting was “nonchalant” and “brief.”“We agreed that it might stress him out more to do his school remotely the rest of the day.

Persons: Jennifer Crumbley, Bill Pugliano, it’s, we’ve, ” Craig Shilling, Justin Shilling, ”, James, Jennifer Crumbley’s, James Crumbley’s, Ethan, “, Karen McDonald, Ethan himself, Shannon Smith, ” Smith, “ I’ve, Hana St, Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Prosecutors, Crumbley, Ethan “, ” McDonald, Tate, Madisyn, Justin Organizations: CNN, Oxford High School, WXYZ, Defense Locations: Oxford , Michigan, Detroit, Oakland

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon believes it has identified the mechanical failure that led to a fatal crash of an Osprey aircraft in Japan and the grounding of the fleet for two months, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press. The Air Force investigation is continuing into the Nov. 29 Air Force special operations command CV-22 crash, which killed eight service members. The crash led to a rare grounding on Dec. 6 of about 400 Osprey aircraft across the three services. Both the Air Force and Marine Corps have been running the Osprey's engines; the Marines have been conducting ground movements to keep the aircraft working. While the current Osprey standdown is one of the largest military aircraft groundings in terms of affecting three services’ flight operations, it’s not the longest.

Persons: Chris Engdahl, ” Engdahl, Engdahl, Alyssa Myers, it’s Organizations: WASHINGTON, Pentagon, Osprey, Associated Press, Safety Council, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Naval Safety Command, The Air Force, Ospreys, Marines, Safety, Congress Locations: Japan, U.S

☆ A Russian ship sunk last week was taken out by 6 sea drones powered by Jet Skis, pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA Ukrainian special military unit has described how it reportedly sunk one of Russia's Black Sea Fleet ships last week using six sea drones powered by Jet Skis, or civilian personal watercraft. A still from a video shared by Defense Intelligence of Ukraine on February 1, 2024, purportedly of the corvette Ivanovets ahead of its claimed destruction. Speaking to CNN, one of the drone pilots, identified by the call sign "13," said that the drones were powered by Jet Skis and controlled via a Starlink connection. In total, 10 MAGURA V5s were sent on the mission, with six hitting the ship, the pilot told CNN.

Persons: —, Kyrylo, Sidharth, Dmytro Pletenchuk Organizations: Service, Fleet, Jet, Defense Intelligence, Business, Autonomous Guard, CNN, Royal United Services Institute, Kyiv Post Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Jury begins deliberations in manslaughter trial of Michigan school shooter’s mother Jennifer Crumbley
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Eric Levenson | Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Over a week of testimony, law enforcement officials, school employees, shooting victims and those who knew Jennifer Crumbley testified for the prosecution. Jennifer Crumbley took the stand in her own defense and, in a remarkable moment, expressed no regret for her actions. Their son Ethan pleaded guilty to one count of terrorism causing death, four counts of murder and 19 other charges related to the deadly rampage. But in her testimony, Crumbley testified that safely storing the gun was her husband’s responsibility. Jennifer Crumbley testified the school meeting was “nonchalant” and “brief.”“We agreed that it might stress him out more to do his school remotely the rest of the day.

Persons: Jennifer Crumbley, CNN —, Ethan, “, Karen McDonald, Ethan himself, Shannon Smith, it’s, ” Smith, “ I’ve, ”, Crumbley’s, James, Prosecutors, Hana St, Juliana, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Crumbley, Ethan “, ” McDonald, Tate, Madisyn, Justin Organizations: CNN, Oxford High School, Defense, CNN First Locations: Michigan, Oakland

☆ White House, Capitol Hill divide on use of military in Red Sea is getting dangerous for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. import and export data shows that the majority of the country's trade is on foreign-flagged vessels. The Congressional calls to consider prioritizing U.S.-flagged vessels come at a time when the Iranian-backed Houthis continue to attack shipping in the Red Sea. Other nations, including U.S. ally France, have already declared their priority is to escort French-linked vessels after facing nationalistic pressure. "It could also be argued that directing military action to defend U.S. commercial shipping is within this power. However, most vessels transiting through the Red Sea are not U.S. ships, which raises questions about the extent to which these authorities can be exercised," they wrote.

Persons: Gerald R, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Mohammed Al, —, Biden's, Charles, Bud, Darr, Salud Carbajal, Hapag Lloyd, Carbajal's, Tim Kaine, Todd Young, Chris Murphy, Mike Lee Organizations: United States, Ford, Anadolu, Getty, Capitol, U.S, MDS Transmodal, Congressional, Gaza, Senate Foreign Relations, White House, Representatives, MSC, U.S . Navy, Maersk, White, Senate Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Senate, Relations, Counterterrorism Locations: Red, U.S, Iranian, Iran, France, Marshall, United States, East, South Asia, Central Asia

A screengrab from a video, geolocated by CNN to the town of Qaim, Iraq, shows the aftermath of US military strikes in the area according to the Iraqi Military. US officials say the strikes hit four facilities in Syria and three in Iraq, where security officials reported damage in the city of Al-Qaim. The sites allegedly belonged to various Iran-backed militias, which the US blames for the strike in Jordan. The US does not plan to strike inside Iran: A senior official with the Biden administration told CNN the US will not strike inside Iran – only focusing on targets outside of the country. Striking inside Iran would have been a huge escalation, and officials have telegraphed that is unlikely to happen.

Persons: Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Biden, Jordan, Douglas Sims, Sims, John Kirby Organizations: CNN, White House, Pentagon, Defense, Air Force, National Security Locations: Qaim, Iraq, Iraqi, Jordan, Syria, Al, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Gen

☆ US starts retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran-linked targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In Syria, the strikes killed 23 people who had been guarding the targeted locations, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an organization that reports on war in Syria. The White House said the United States had informed Iraq ahead of strikes. Baghdad later accused the United States of deception, saying a U.S. claim of coordination with the Iraqi authorities was "unfounded". The Syrian foreign ministry said the United States was fueling conflict in the region in a "very dangerous way". Britain called the United States its "steadfast" ally and said it supports Washington's right to respond to attacks.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Joe Biden's, Nasser Kanaani, Rami Abdulrahman, Douglas, Sims, Chip Somodevilla, General Douglas Sims, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ebrahim Raisi, Radek Sikorski Organizations: Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, AFP, Getty, United, Revolutionary Guard, U.S, Syrian, Human Rights, Chiefs, Capitol Visitors Center, Joint Staff, Pentagon, U.S . Defense Locations: Maryland, United States, Iraq, Syria, U.S, Iran, Israel, Gen, Washington ,, Tehran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraqi, Baghdad, Washington, Britain, Polish, Brussels

☆ U.S. Launches Retaliatory Strikes in Iraq, Syria; Nearly 40 Reported Killed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

The White House said the United States had informed Iraq ahead of strikes. Baghdad later accused the United States of deception, saying a U.S. claim of coordination with the Iraqi authorities was "unfounded". The Syrian foreign ministry said the United States was fuelling conflict in the region in a "very dangerous way". The United States has assessed that the drone that killed the three soldiers and wounded more than 40 other people in Jordan was made by Iran, U.S. officials have told Reuters. Iranian advisers assist armed groups in both Iraq, where the United States has around 2,500 troops, and Syria, where it has 900.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Timour Azhari, Joe Biden's, Nasser Kanaani, Rami Abdulrahman, General Douglas Sims, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ebrahim Raisi, Radek Sikorski, Jordan, Roger Wicker, Enas Alashray, Adam Makary, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Tom Perry, Frances Kerry Organizations: United, Revolutionary Guard, U.S, Syrian, Human Rights, Joint Staff, Pentagon, U.S . Defense, Reuters, Republican, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Timour Azhari WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, United States, Iraq, Syria, U.S, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraqi, Baghdad, Washington, Britain, Polish, Brussels, Al, Jordan

The Bidens will attend a “dignified transfer” as the remains of the troops killed in the overnight assault Sunday return to U.S. soil. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join the Bidens for the transfer in Dover, where such events take place when U.S. servicemembers are killed in action. Friday will be the second dignified transfer Biden attends as president. In August 2021, he took part in the ritual for the 13 servicemembers killed during the suicide bombing in Kabul. As vice president, Biden in 2016 attended a dignified transfer for two U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide blast at Bagram Airfield.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, servicemembers, Lloyd Austin, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Waycross, Breonna Moffett, Moffett, ” Biden, Biden, Rivers, Sanders, Jerome, Tara Copp Organizations: Dover Air Force Base, U.S, Defense, Sunday, Navy, Capitol, Army, Army Reserves, Army Reserve, Defense Department, Pentagon, Hezbollah, White, Press Locations: WILMINGTON, Del, Jordan, U.S, Dover, Georgia, William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Sgt, Savannah, Sanders, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Moffett, Rivers, Fort Moore, New Jersey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kabul, airport’s, Syria

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) assists Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, as well as in Gaza. Some $440 million of funding has been suspended, according to UNRWA, which has 13,000 staff in Gaza. The agency said the severe humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza would likely deteriorate further if the funding is not restored. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called for UNRWA to be dismantled and replaced by other aid groups. And we have discovered in the last few weeks that UNRWA officials were complicit in the massacre,” he said.

Persons: –, Philippe Lazzarini, Khan Younis, Thomas White, ” White, ”, Khaled Omar, Lazzarini, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel, “, Yoav Hallant Organizations: CNN, United Nations, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, West Bank, UNRWA Affairs, Training Center, UNRWA, Getty, ”, International Court of Justice, Israel, UN Locations: Gaza, Israel, East, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, United States, Rafah, Amman, Xinhua, South Africa, Israeli, The Hague

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine's army chief reportedly about to be sacked; Putin pins plane crash blame on U.S. Patriot system
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi attends a ceremony marking the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 28, 2023. Ukraine's army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi is expected be dismissed from his post by the end of the week, news outlet CNN reported Wednesday, citing sources. Zaluzhnyi reportedly refused a request from Zelenskyy to step down earlier this week and remains in post for now. Defense analysts point out that it's standard practice for military commanders to be replaced during times of war, if new strategy and vision are deemed necessary. Ukraine's forces are seen to be making little headway in reclaiming Russian-occupied territory, instead having adopted a more defensive stance to retain the positions held.

Persons: Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskyy, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukrainian, CNN, Ukraine's Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia

☆ Pentagon Chief Says Should Have Handled Cancer Diagnosis Better
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday that his recent cancer diagnosis shook him but he should have notified President Joe Biden and the public about it. "I did not handle this right," Austin said in his first press conference since his secret hospitalization. Austin said he had never directed anyone in his staff to keep his January hospitalization from the White House or the public. (Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Doina Chiacu)

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Doina Organizations: WASHINGTON, . Defense

☆ US Needs to Build Marshall Islands' Trust Over Cold War Nuclear Dump -US Agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. conducted 67 nuclear bomb tests on the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1958. In the late 1970s it deposited radioactive soil and debris from six of the islands into an unlined crater created by one of the tests. The Department of Energy, which in the report concurred with the recommendation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Marshall Islands embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It also examines radioactive contamination in Greenland resulting from U.S.

Persons: Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON, Tom Carper, Timothy Gardner, David Brunnstrom, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S, Office, U.S . Congress, RMI, Department of Energy, DOE, GAO, Marshall, Democrat Locations: U.S, Republic, Marshall, Washington, Spain, Greenland

☆ Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah Suspends Military Operations on US Forces -Statement
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah announced the suspension of all its military operations against U.S. troops in the region, in a decision aimed at preventing "embarrassment" to the Iraqi government, the group said in a statement. The decision follows the killing of three U.S. troops in a drone attack near the Jordan-Syria border - an attack that the Pentagon said bore the "footprints" of Kataib Hezbollah, though a final assessment had not yet been made. Founded in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah is one of the elite Iraqi armed factions closest to Iran. Iraq's government is backed by parties and militias close to Iran, though not directly by the hardline groups that have been firing on U.S. forces, Western and Iraqi officials say. Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden's, Timour Azhari, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: Hezbollah, U.S, Pentagon, U.S . Defense Locations: BAGHDAD, Iran, Jordan, Syria, U.S, Iraq, Gaza, Iraq's, Western, Baghdad

☆ Iraqi, Jordanian Foreign Ministers Hold Call After Attack on U.S. Outpost in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, in a phone call with his Jordanian counterpart on Tuesday, condemned an attack on a U.S. military outpost on Jordanian territory near the border with Syria, state media reported. Hussein and Ayman Safadi stressed the need to distance the two countries and the region from military threats by any side, Iraqi state media added. That attack killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded more than 40 troops. Iraq's government is backed by parties and militias close to Iran, though not directly by the hardline groups that have been firing on U.S. forces, Western and Iraqi officials say. Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on.

Persons: Fuad Hussein, Hussein, Ayman Safadi, Israel, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden's, Timour Azhari, Enas, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Iraqi, Jordanian, Sunday, U.S, U.S . Defense Locations: Syria, Iran, U.S, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Hamas, Jordan, Israel, Western, Baghdad, Gaza

☆ Political Pressure Builds on Biden to Strike Iran After US Deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

That allowed Biden the political space to mete out U.S. retaliation, inflicting costs on Iran-backed forces without risking a direct war with Tehran. Republicans accused Biden of letting American forces become sitting ducks, waiting for the day when a drone or missile would evade base defenses. In response, they say Biden must strike Iran. "The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran's terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East." "Unless the U.S. prepared for an all out war, what does attacking Iran get us," the official said.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, he's, Biden, Tom Cotton, Mike Rogers, they've, Rogers, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Barbara Lee, Seth Moulton, —, Moulton, Jonathan Lord, Lord, Charles Lister, Lister, Israel, Qassem Soleimani, Simon Lewis, Paul Thomasch, Diane Craft Organizations: Republican U.S, Republican, U.S, Representatives, Tehran, Biden, Democratic, Iranian, Center, New, East Institute, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Israel, Jordan's, Tehran, United States, Gaza, New American, Washington, U.S, Damascus, Jan

☆ Pentagon says it is not seeking war with Iran after Jordan attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We certainly don't seek a war and frankly we don't see Iran wanting to seek a war with the United States," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters. She added that the Pentagon believed Iran did not want a war either. Two officials said a U.S. drone was approaching the base around the same time the attack drone was incoming. One of the officials said the attack drone was also flying low, factors that may have contributed to it being missed by base defenses. "Iran continues to destabilize the region, this includes backing terrorists who attack our ships in the Red Sea," Stoltenberg said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden's, Austin, Biden, Sabrina Singh, John Kirby, Breonna Alexsondria, Stoltenberg Organizations: NATO, U.S, State Department, U.S . Defense, Monday, Sunday, Pentagon, House, Army Reserve, Austin Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Jordan, Iran, Israel, United States, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Red

☆ Lockheed Martin to cut 1% of its jobs in cost-cutting push
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Lockheed Martin's Tranche 0 Transport Layer satellites are seen in one of the company's processing facilities. Lockheed Martin will cut 1% of its jobs over the course of the year in a bid to cut costs and streamline operations, a company spokesperson said on Friday. The cost reductions will aid the company in transforming its operations digitally. "We're driving cost reduction in our direct cost base through supply chain optimization, factory productivity and also on 1LMX-driven efficiencies," Lockheed Martin CFO Jay Malave said in the company's post-earnings conference call on Tuesday. Lockheed on Tuesday forecast its 2024 profit below Wall Street expectations, citing supply chain disruptions in its largest aeronautics segment which makes F-35 jets.

Persons: Lockheed Martin's, Lockheed Martin, Jay Malave, 1LMX Organizations: Lockheed Locations: Maryland, China, Philippines, Russia, Ukraine

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